Jealous
by miso berry
Summary: Somewhere along the way of solving her persistent problems and dealing with her oblivious attitude, he had fallen for her. HoutarouxEru/OrekixChitanda
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I finally decided to try my hand at a Hyouka fanfic! Originally, I was going to make this a one shot, but since a majority of my fics are one shots, I also decided to make this multi-chaptered. And by multi-chaptered, I mean 2-3 chapters, otl. **

**000**

**Confused, Not Curious**

**Chapter One**

**000**

Oreki Houtarou sat at his usual spot by the window, gazing outside. The weather was quite decent for autumn. He usually thought that autumn gave off some sort of ominous glow, but after watching the orange and brown leaves peacefully, and _quietly_ falling from their branches, he had decided to change his perspective.

The days passed by at a normal pace; not too fast, and not too slow. It was strange for Houtarou to think this way. He almost always thought that the days dragged on, but for some reason, he found that time was actually living up to its purpose.

He sighed. His perspectives on many things were becoming distorted. And he knew the reason.

Chitanda Eru.

He wasted way too much energy figuring out the subjects she was curious on, no matter how pointless they were. But the moment she gazed at him with _those_ eyes, he knew that he would never hear the end of it, and that resistance would be futile. So, he went along with whatever she needed solving. In return, she would verbally thank him, and even sometimes give him a small present, like a petite package of chocolate, or a book. He found that with each passing day, he wasn't minding it as much as he did before. It was still a pain finding a solution that would satisfy the girl, but at least it wasn't "dreadful" anymore.

And at that moment, while he was still in the midst of his thoughts of Chitanda, a small knock came from the door of the Classic's Club. Houtarou blinked once in surprise, then another in acknowledgment, before he realized that there had been a knock at the door. He frowned.

It certainly wasn't Satoshi, Ibara or Chitanda. The girls probably would knock as a short warning, before opening the door and greeting him. Of course, Satoshi would barge in with some fancy opening. He sighed. That meant it would be someone he would have to deal with and actually talk to himself. That thought itself seemed tiring enough.

"Come in," Houtarou finally spoke up. He felt the need to sit up and at least look polite, but the slouching position he was in felt so comfortable, that he just didn't want to comply with his brain. He slightly lifted his chin, deciding that that would look polite enough.

The door slid open, revealing a student of slightly-more-than-average height. He had jet black hair, which looked both messy but carefully styled at the same time, and jet black eyes. Houtarou rose an eyebrow. This student was definitely older than him, but maybe by only a year, he reasoned.

"Sempai," he greeted in a normal tone of voice. "Is there something you need?" He asked. He couldn't think of a reason as to why a student like him would be in this classroom. Unless he wanted to join the club…Houtarou resisted the urge to cringe. That was the last thing he wanted. The club was noisy enough as it was, even with their lack of members.

The black-haired teen appeared as if he was struggling with what to say. He looked like a boy who was meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time and wanted to make a good impression. He began scratching the back of his head. It made Houtarou, dare he say it, _curious_. He felt more confused than curious though.

"Um…well…uh…" He bit his bottom lip, as if realizing that he had already given off a not-so-good impression. But Houtarou stayed quiet. The less talk they exchanged, the better, he figured.

"Um…! I'm Sakurai Sosuke. And, well…are you part of the Classics Club?" He questioned, almost nervously.

"I am," Houtarou replied. This Sakurai guy was acting like he was intimidated, even though he was an upperclassman. Houtarou decided to keep that in mind for the time being.

"That's great! I mean…ugh, what the heck am I even saying…?" The teen sighed, crossing his arms. He probably expected Houtarou to laugh, but he certainly would not provide that type of comic relief. The atmosphere was beginning to feel more awkward, to Sosuke anyway. Yet, suddenly—

"What's your relationship with Chitanda Eru?"

That definitely caught Houtarou off guard. His eyes widened slightly at the question, and he hoped that Sosuke hadn't noticed. He narrowed his eyes slightly, wishing that Satoshi would suddenly run into the room, yelling nonsense off the top of his lungs. But no matter how much he wished, he had a feeling that the gods wouldn't bestow him with his request. He would have to deal with this himself, he realized.

"We're…" He cursed himself when he found himself trailing off, unsure of what to say. Sosuke seemed to be heavily anticipating his answer.

"…friends," he finally said, catching himself before he sighed in defeat. Sosuke nodded, looking somewhat pleased. Houtarou was finally beginning to figure out why the upperclassman was here conversing with him, and he didn't like the outcome.

"Okay, thanks for telling me. If it's alright…can I join the Classics Club?" Sosuke questioned, placing his index finger on his chest, looking eager. Fear struck Houtarou. Most of it was fear of whatever was left of his peaceful life going down the drain. But some of it was also a fear of something else.

"You're going to have to ask the president about"—

During the middle of Houtarou's sentence, the door gently slid open, and Chitanda Eru herself walked into the room. He resisted the growing urge to face palm.

She looked startled at the sight of the upperclassman. Her eyes were large, and she looked curious enough. "Hello. I'm the president of the Classics Club," she said kindly, extending out a hand.

Sosuke merely stared at her hand and Houtarou noticed that the teen's face had reddened considerably. His hypothesis had been correct. This guy had a crush on Chitanda.

"Um! Yeah, hi! I'm Sakurai Sosuke, and I was wondering if I could join the Classic's Club," he informed, gulping before stiffly shaking her hand. At that, Chitanda's eyes widened even more, until they were basically brimming with happiness.

"Really?" She demanded excitedly, bouncing up onto her toes and nearly pressing her face into his, like how she usually would when saying "I'm curious!" to Houtarou, who was now silently watching the scene from his seat.

Sosuke blushed even more, if possible. "Yes! I would be very honored if I could join!"

And just like that, Sakurai Sosuke became a part of the Classics Club and began attending their meetings. It was the beginning of Houtarou's nightmare, although he wasn't fully aware of it yet.

**000**

"I know right? I've read that book five times through!" Sosuke exclaimed, currently engaged in a heated conversation with Chitanda, who looked just as involved in the topic. She pressed her hands together, beaming.

"It's a wonderful book! Every time I read it, I figure out something new that I hadn't noticed before," she replied back. Houtarou finally managed to tune them out, and continued gazing out the window, like he usually did.

At the present, Mayaka was arguing with Satoshi, but that wasn't a surprise. If Sosuke hadn't become a member of the club, Chitanda would be telling Houtarou about an event that had recently happened to her, and then proceed to ask him to solve her mysteries for her. Obviously, that wasn't the case anymore.

Reluctantly, and stealthily, the brown-haired teen glanced over at the two sitting beside him. Chitanda's face was becoming closer and closer to Sosuke's, who fully seemed to notice that fact, judging by the steadily growing blush on his cheeks.

Houtarou stubbornly snapped his gaze away. He didn't want to admit it, but they had become fast friends. They even looked compatible together.

"Hou-ta-rou," an all too familiar voice spoke. His green eyes landed on Satoshi, who was giving him an all knowing look, along with a gleeful smile. Damn him.

"You look more annoyed than usual. If you keep that up, Chitanda-san will be demanding answers from you," he leaned in and whispered. But even if he had said it in his normal voice, Chitanda probably wouldn't have noticed. She looked too absorbed in her conversation with Sosuke.

"I'm going home," Houtarou finally announced, picking up his bag and swinging it over his shoulder. Satoshi backed up, slightly surprised at his friend's abrupt decision.

"Already?" Mayaka questioned, looking annoyed, yet concerned. Most likely, she didn't know the specific reason for his sudden need to leave, but she could still sense that something was wrong.

"Yeah. I feel…sick," he said, and he wasn't exactly lying. He was sick of watching Chitanda and Sosuke animatedly talking beside him, and he wasn't even sure why.

"Oh, um, Oreki-san! Please don't forget about the club picnic tomorrow. I really hope you can go," Chitanda spoke up, finally standing up from her seat. He quickly glanced at her before turning back towards the door.

"Mm," he acknowledged as he walked out of the classroom. Satoshi smiled lightly before shaking his head. His friend still had a long way to go.

**000**

Houtarou took his time walking back home. He used it to contemplate. He was even gripping the ends of his bangs. So far, he had realized a total of two things.

Firstly, he realized that he was beginning to hate the black-haired upperclassman.

And secondly, he himself, as in Oreki Houtarou, had developed a crush on Chitanda Eru. Somewhere along the way of solving her persistent problems and dealing with her oblivious attitude, he had fallen for her.

He wasn't dense at all. After solving all those countless mysteries, there was no way that he wouldn't be able to solve his own. He was a critical thinker. He wasn't perfect at what he did, but he knew he had some talent, at the very least. As for whether or not he would take action was a completely different story though.

He let out an irritated groan. This wasn't the best time to realize his feelings for the overly-curious girl. It was simply _painful_ for him to sit through meetings lately without the need to bash his head on the table. Chitanda and Sosuke could start up topics within seconds, and their conversations could probably last for hours. He didn't want to admit it, but it stung at him to see them talking together so happily.

And Satoshi, that almost-good-for-nothing bastard was _amused_ with the turn of events. He knew that he wouldn't dare to tell Mayaka though, and he mentally thanked him for that. However, that was possibly the least of his worries.

Houtarou was strictly against exerting effort for anyone, but for Chitanda…

He groaned again. All he wanted was a peaceful, easy going life.

He didn't know what to do. He was stuck in his thoughts, and hadn't even realized that he had passed by his own house five minutes ago.

**A/N: Initially, I was going to have Houtarou realize his feelings later on, but knowing him, he could probably figure it out pretty quickly. Probably. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please look forward to the next one? :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here is part two of the story! I hope you enjoy it! **

When Houtarou woke up in the morning, it was ten am. He flipped onto his side, moving his gaze away from his clock. It was Saturday, and all he wanted to do was sleep in and—

He frowned. He felt like he had something to do today. It didn't feel like it was that important, but the feeling still nagged at him nonetheless. He slowly closed his eyes, thinking and searching through his memory. He caught it effortlessly when he remembered Chitanda.

"_Oh, um, Oreki-san! Please don't forget about the club picnic tomorrow. I really hope you can go."_

Ah. There it was. The picnic was today, exactly an hour from now. He heaved out a long groan before sitting up. He considered feigning an illness, but then also remembered that Sosuke would be there. He glared at nothing in particular. The idea of Chitanda and Sosuke talking and laughing together stung him again.

With a considerable exertion of energy (in his opinion), Houtarou stood up from his bed and headed to the bathroom. He would be going to the picnic.

**000**

It was hot. It was autumn, but it was _hot_. Just yesterday, the weather had been breezy and the sunlight had been hazy. But today, the sun was glaring at him, as if challenging him to see if he would turn back around or not. Houtarou was still imaging Chitanda and the upperclassman talking together, and that was enough to keep him walking.

He had dressed in the most casual way possible: a white tee-shirt and a pair of slightly worn out jeans. It was as casual as casual could get. He had decided on this outfit rather quickly. He felt that if he dressed too nicely, Satoshi, or even Chitanda might become curious. Satoshi would definitely tease him.

"Oh, Houtarou-san!"

The said boy's eye twitched. Since when had they been on a first name basis? Despite his annoyed attitude, he turned around, looking calm. It was Sosuke, of course. He was dressed in a black and white striped shirt, jeans, and a light grey cardigan. It made him look proper, and good-mannered.

The thing that made Houtarou raise an eyebrow was the backpack Sosuke had on. It didn't look like he had simply brought along a picnic blanket. Something inside of the backpack was square shaped. "Did you bring something?" He found himself saying, pointing at the backpack.

"Oh, this? It's just some food I made. I woke up too early, so I thought I might as well make something for the picnic," Sosuke admitted, rather bashfully. He was the exact opposite of Houtarou.

"Well, let's get going, Houtarou-san. The park's not too far from here, right?" He questioned, jogging over to Houtarou's side. "Mmhm," he replied back, biting back an irritated sigh. He wanted the rest of the walk to be quiet, but obviously, Sosuke was thinking the opposite.

"So, you and Chitanda-san are close, huh?" Sosuke questioned. Houtarou noticed that he was still calling her by her last name. He was probably too shy to start calling her "Eru." Obviously though, the upperclassman was completely comfortable around him.

"I guess. We're friends," Houtarou clarified, not sure what Sosuke was trying to get at. The black-haired teen was nodding slowly. His face finally broke out into a smile.

"She's adorable, isn't she?" He asked. Houtarou nearly choked, but didn't say anything back. What _could_ he say?

"Chitanda-san…mentioned you a lot. She seems to really admire you. It makes me a bit jealous," Sosuke continued. Houtarou sucked in a quick breath. Once again, the upperclassman's sudden remarks were catching him off guard. He couldn't say that he wasn't happy though. He could imagine Chitanda eagerly telling Sosuke a mystery he had solved for her. Her eyes would be large and twinkling, and maybe even a blush would be dusting her cheeks—

Houtarou bit down on his tongue. He feared that if he thought about her too much, Sosuke would somehow sense it. He glanced over at the upperclassman, who looked like he still had something to say. Or maybe Houtarou was simply imagining it. That's what he hoped anyway.

"I have something to say," Sosuke finally admitted.

_Well, damn it all_, Houtarou thought as he narrowed his eyes.

"I…don't know if I should tell you or not. But you seem trustworthy, Houtarou-san. I'm not sure how to explain it, but I just know that I can trust you," the black-haired teen explained. Houtarou silently squeezed his eyes shut. This was definitely the last thing he wanted. He knew what was going to happen next, and what Sosuke was going to tell him.

"I plan on confessing to Chitanda-san, actually. This is a bit embarrassing…" Sosuke began, awkwardly coughing into his hand. Houtarou made no indication of speaking.

"I sort of scoped out the park yesterday after school. I found a nice place to confess to her. It's a place surrounded by some flower beds. I really think it suits her. And well…I was wondering if you could help me in any way. You know, drop some hints, or something like that," he told him, looking hopeful.

The brown-haired teen remained quiet. "I'm sorry, but I can't promise you that," was what he honestly wanted to say, and it nearly rolled out of his mouth. This was too much for him. He was the type of guy who liked to take things easy, not do guys favors, especially ones that involved Chitanda. There was nothing else he could though. He had no other choice but to agree. It was that, or he would reveal his own feelings for the girl to the meek upperclassman. Both choices would pose as problems for him.

At that moment however, right when he was about to reply, his savior stepped in, tapping both him and Sosuke on the shoulder.

"Oreki-san. Sakurai-san. Hello!" Chitanda greeted brightly. Houtarou let out a deep sigh of thankful relief while Sosuke whipped around, blushing furiously. Judging by the oblivious smile on her face, it looked like she hadn't heard any of their conversation.

Speaking of which, the girl was dressed in a pink dress. After seeing her wear the color many times, Houtarou decided that that color looked best on her, and he never tired of seeing her wear it. The dress was innocently short somehow, most likely because small, frilly lace was lining the bottom of it. Houtarou also noticed that a small portion of her hair was tied up on the back side of her head. It made her look even cuter, though he would never admit it, not even in his own thoughts.

Finally, he spotted the picnic basket she was swinging back and forth. It looked quite heavy.

The moment he had thought that, Sosuke spoke up, after probably thinking the same thing.

"Chitanda-san, I'll carry that for you. It looks heavy," he offered, already beginning to reach for it. Houtarou unconsciously glowered at him.

"Oh, thank you very much!" Chitanda replied, bowing slightly as the upperclassman took the picnic basket from her hands.

Houtarou was thankful once again when he noticed how close they were to the park. He could even see Satoshi and Mayaka sitting in the grass on top of a picnic blanket, talking and waiting. "I'm going on ahead," he said quickly, glancing over at Sosuke, who seemed to appreciate his actions. He had only said that to avoid feeling left out again though.

Without looking over at Chitanda or waiting for her reply, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked straight to Satoshi and Mayaka. He didn't even need to turn around to see how Chitanda and Sosuke were doing. He could already visibly imagine them taking their time; walking at a leisurely pace while discussing another book. His hands unknowingly fisted up in his pockets.

"Yo," Houtarou said tiredly as he plopped down on the picnic blanket across from Satoshi and Mayaka. The small girl looked up, looking flustered. Slightly confused, he looked over at Satoshi, who began humming. Obviously, they had been in another argument. But this time, it looked like Satoshi had said something to embarrass Mayaka, who was still blushing nervously. He dismissed those facts, and decided to act normally.

"You brought something?" Houtarou questioned, spotting the cooler behind the pair. Mayaka nodded, and the blush slowly passed away from her face.

"I brought some pudding, to eat afterwards," she informed him. He nodded back quietly, letting his shoulders slack. He would eat a delicious meal with his friends, stay out of their conversations as much as he could, and then go home. That's what he had planned initially.

"Chi-chan!" Mayaka exclaimed, beaming gratefully at the girl as she seated herself. She sat down next to Houtarou, and Sosuke sat down on the other side of her. Houtarou nearly tensed up when her arm brushed against his.

"Okay, let's start the Classics Club picnic!" Chitanda said happily, pressing her hands together. She beamed at all of them before moving to unpack all of the food crammed in the picnic basket.

It was a typical array of Japanese picnic foods: onigiri, grilled marinated meat, pork buns, tako wieners, steamed vegetables and sandwiches. Something about the food looked extremely appealing though, and the group dove to get some of the food.

"This is delicious, as usual," Satoshi complimented as he devoured his portion of meat. Chitanda smiled back, cheerfully thanking him. Mayaka ate with a dazed look in her eyes, probably because the food tasted exactly like delicious home cooking. Sosuke seemed impressed as he bit into a pork bun. Houtarou ate quietly as usual, but he found that his chopsticks were constantly moving to get more food.

"Oh! That reminds me. I also brought something to share," Sosuke spoke up as he removed his backpack and zipped it open. He took out a large plastic container and set it down gently on the picnic blanket.

"I baked a cake," he said modestly as he removed the top of the container, revealing a medium sized vanilla cake topped with light, whipped cream and strawberries. Satoshi, Mayaka and Chitanda all showed faces of approval and excitement as they leaned their bodies in towards the dessert. Houtarou stayed firmly in place, although the cake did look quite good in his opinion.

"You like to bake, Sakurai-san?" Chitanda asked, turning towards the said teen. He began scratching the back of his head, looking extremely embarrassed. Houtarou rolled his eyes. He nearly choked however when he glanced over at Satoshi, who had obviously noticed his irritated attitude. A grin spread across the boy's face, but he said nothing.

"Please let me cut the cake, Chitanda-san," Sosuke volunteered, gingerly taking the large knife from the girl's hands. He cut it into five even pieces and began placing them on paper plates, which he had also prepared in his backpack.

"This is good…" Mayaka commented after taking a few generous bites of her slice. Houtarou had to admit, the cake did taste good. Its sweetness was subtle, and the whipped cream was extremely refreshing. He had expected the strawberries to be sour, but was slightly surprised when he found that they were sweet and perfectly ripe.

"Houtarou, aren't you holding your fork a _little_ too tightly?" Satoshi pointed out. He froze.

"I'm not," he snapped back, relaxing his hold on the silverware. The other three glanced at him curiously.

"Is the cake not good, Houtarou-san?" Sosuke asked, looking at him through large, jet black orbs. It disturbed him. "It's good," he muttered back, putting more cake into his mouth for emphasis. When no one else was watching, Houtarou glared over at Satoshi, who was smiling happily to himself.

After eating the cake and the pudding that Mayaka had brought, the group leaned back and relaxed, relishing in the now gentle sunlight and the soft warmth it provided on their skin. Houtarou found this very appealing, until Sosuke began talking again.

"Chitanda-san, can I speak with you um…privately for a moment? There's something I need to say," he told her, avoiding eye contact. Chitanda blinked in confusion, but replied back casually nonetheless. Houtarou tensed up. Sosuke was going to bring her to the flowerbeds and then confess to her. The sun was out, the birds were chirping and the flowers were plentiful and in bloom. The timing could not be any more perfect.

"Ah, yes, of course," Chitanda said, standing up and following him. Houtarou didn't turn his head to watch their retreating figures. He simply didn't want to. When they came back, they would probably be holding hands and laughing over some lame joke. As much as that thought bothered him, he couldn't find it in himself to stand up and follow them.

He could feel his hands balling up into tight fists. He liked her. He liked her too much. Yet, here he was, simply sitting and lazing around while another man who was much more compatible for her was confessing to her. He couldn't even imagine himself confessing to the girl. His role now was stay put and let things carry on in Sosuke's favor.

"Are you really going to let them go?"

Houtarou's eyes snapped open. He whipped his head towards Satoshi, who was giving him an unusually serious stare. Mayaka gazed at the two boys, just as confused as Chitanda had been. By now, Chitanda and the upperclassman were no longer in sight.

"Does it really matter?" Houtarou found himself talking back. Satoshi frowned. He was no longer in the mood for teasing. Unlike Houtarou, he hadn't expected that Sosuke would confess to Chitanda so soon. Satoshi could clearly see how bothered his friend was by it and he didn't plan on letting him miss this crucial opportunity.

"Sakurai-sempai and Chitanda-san. If things go according to Sakurai-sempai's plan"—

"I know. I know what might happen," Houtarou cut in, feeling even more annoyed.

"Houtarou, I know you're not an idiot. I know that you're lazy, but I also know that you're not stupid," Satoshi lectured him, ignoring Houtarou's complaints and interruptions. The brown-haired teen cringed. Satoshi knew more about him than he thought.

He took in a deep breath. Satoshi resumed his expression of seriousness while Mayaka watched on silently, still visibly confused.

His friend was right. Houtarou knew that he was constantly lazy, tired and nearly good-for-nothing. But he wasn't stupid. When something needed to be done, he would complete it as soon as possible.

He smirked.

"Thanks, Satoshi," Houtarou finally said, standing up. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, looked on ahead, and walked. He would keep on walking. He wouldn't stop until he was directly in front of Chitanda. Even if he turned out to be too late, he still needed her to know.

"No problem," Satoshi said, grinning and giving his friend a thumbs up for good luck. After Houtarou had walked quite some paces away, Mayaka finally spoke up.

"I don't understand. What was that all about?" She demanded, turning towards the human database for answers. He crossed his arms.

"I'm pretty surprised you didn't notice. Isn't it obvious?" Satoshi asked, giving her a small wink. She rose an eyebrow, but still didn't understand. "Sakurai-sempai is confessing to Chi-chan…? And Oreki…" Her frown deepened. Then, as the pieces fell into place, she gasped and placed a hand over her mouth in surprise.

"O-Oreki likes Chi-chan?" She cried out. It all made sense now. She felt stupid for not realizing it earlier, but all that mattered was that it all made sense.

"Bingo. From here on, we'll just be his mental support!" Satoshi announced. Mayaka smiled, nodding in agreement. She had to admit, she did feel a little bad for the upperclassman, but she was still completely in favor of Houtarou. She pressed her hands together, praying for his luck.

**000**

After hearing Mayaka's loud realization some feet behind him, a blush had spread across his cheeks and his shoulders had uncomfortably squared up. He silently hoped that Chitanda and Sosuke had not heard her.

In his mind, he was still formulating a plan. He still didn't know what to do. He would be lying if he said that he didn't care about the upperclassman's feelings. His original plan was to grab Chitanda and drag her off somewhere else, but after Sosuke's obvious efforts to impress her, he couldn't find it in himself to go along with that. He hated the upperclassman, but he didn't plan on scarring his love life.

Houtarou had decided that he would interrupt them. Politely or not, he would interrupt them, then proceed to apologize to the upperclassman. He wasn't sure on what to do after that, but he found that he didn't care anymore.

He spotted them quickly, ambling along the small path that was surrounded by flowers. He slowed his pace and watched them from behind. He gulped. He was feeling nervous. That wasn't something he had been anticipating.

He bent down and walked along the sides of the bushes before he was next to the pair, and able to hear their conversation.

"I know this might be sudden Chitanda-san, but there's something I really need to say to you," Sosuke said. His face was flushed and Houtarou could spot beads of sweat appearing on his brow.

"Yes? Is something wrong?" Chitanda asked, completely oblivious. Sosuke let out a short, nervous chuckle. "No, it's nothing like that…" He said.

"It's just…hm…I've always admired you. You're a great person. You're smart, and pretty, and…" He trailed off to take in a deep breath. She was still watching him with large, purple eyes. And Houtarou was still spying on them, from behind a few bushes.

"You don't have to answer me right away. I'll understand. But I still want to tell you that I"—

At that moment, Houtarou stood up, clearly revealing his hiding position in the greenery. Both Sosuke and Chitanda jumped in surprise. Houtarou was stubbornly looking away from them. He had meant to say something to interrupt, but found that his body had reacted before his mind could come up with anything.

"Oreki-san…? Did something happen?" Chitanda questioned, eyes glittering with curiosity. He shook his head, and found that his mouth had become dry.

"Houtarou-san…um…" Sosuke started awkwardly. Finally, Houtarou bowed his head down.

"I'm sorry, sempai, but…I can't let you," he told him, lifting up his eyes to look at him. He kept his gaze steady, letting emerald clash with onyx. Just as he had expected, Sosuke was the first to cave. The upperclassman snapped his eyes away from his.

Silently, Houtarou stepped out from the bushes, used a good chunk of his will power to grab onto Chitanda's hand, and walked away. He didn't dare turn back to look at the upperclassman. He would probably feel guilty if he did.

"O-Oreki-san? Can I um…" He suddenly released her hand and hastily put his own hand back into his pocket. He gulped before turning around to face her. She was blushing, which in turn, made him blush.

"I'm confused and…curious. What was Sakurai-sempai going to say to me? Why were you there? Why did we leave Sakurai-sempai?" She interrogated him without missing a beat. She was steadily stepping closer to him, until her face was directly in front of his.

"I can't stop thinking about it. I'm curious!" She told him eagerly. Her tiny hands were now balled up into fists, and she held them against her chest, looking serious. He stepped back a little before clearing his throat. She was always being way too overwhelming.

"Well…sempai was planning to confess to you. And…" Houtarou scratched the back of his head, unsure on how to answer her other questions. She already seemed stunned enough with his first answer. He finally sighed.

"You can figure out the rest on your own," he stated before walking back towards Satoshi and Mayaka. She was speechless, and he knew without looking that she was still rooted to her spot. Finally, he heard her light, quick footsteps approach him, and then he felt an arm wrap around his.

"But Oreki-san, that won't do! I can't possibly figure out this mystery on my own," Chitanda explained to him, frowning visibly. He nearly scoffed. _It's not even that much of a mystery_, he spoke in his mind.

He became aware of the way his face was steadily becoming warmer as he realized that her grip on his arm was becoming tighter. He also became aware of the fact that Satoshi and Mayaka were quickly coming into view. Satoshi had a huge, goofy grin on his face while Mayaka gaped at them in disbelief. His life was becoming way too hectic, he noted dryly.

"Oreki-san, please tell me! I'm curious!" Chitanda was still chanting, looking like she would burst at any second. He glanced over and was instantly met with a pair of enormous, twinkling violet eyes. _Well_, he thought, _I_ _might as well give her a hint_.

Houtarou moved his arm (the one that she was still gripping onto) at last, adjusting his hand so it could intertwine with hers. He refused to look at Chitanda, Satoshi, and Mayaka, deciding that he should at least spare himself some torture. When the girl had overcome her shock, and finally gave his hand a gentle squeeze, he was positive that she had figured it out.

**A/N: I was hoping that I could add in some hormone-driven Houtarou, but I just never found the right opportunity to slip it in. I highly doubt that I'll write another fic for this series, but I still had fun with this either way! **

**Thank you for reading! **


End file.
